Improvement in hinges for boxes



A. F. GERALD.

HINGES FOR-BOXESEaU No189,21 1. Patented. April 3, 1877.

max/ W in Mid??? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS F. GERALD, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS' RIGHT TO WILLIAM HARVEY, OF SAME'PLAOE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HINGES FOR BOXES, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 1 89, 211, dated April 3, 1877 application filed March 9, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS F. GERALD, of Augusta, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hinges for Boxes, &c., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is toconstruct a hinge cheap and durable, and of easy ap plication to boxes, &c., as hereinafter fully described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the box with the hinge attached.

Like letters of reierence'indicate like parts.

A is the end of the box; B, the cover; F, the side, and 0 the hinge-piece. This hingepiece is made of tin, brass, iron, or other suitable material, the width and thickness varying according to the size of box, or the strain to be put upon the hinge. The construction of the hinge-piece is shown in Fig. 3 at O, which is a view of the hinge-piece as bent and ready for use.

Fig. 2 shows the application of the hinge to a box. A is the end of the box; B, the'cover; F, the side; 0,-the hinge-piece; l), a small nail or other suitable fastening, passing through the side of the box, through the hinge, and into the end, thus serving the double purpose of holding the hinge in place and fastening the side of the box. G is the part of the cover passing into the hinge, and upon which the cover turns.

The hinge is applied as follows: Upon each end of the cover, at the side where the hinge is to be placed, with a cylindrical saw, a trunnion or dowel, G, is made of the size of the cylindrical part of the hinge-piece O then a cut is made in each end of the side F, and the hinge put on the trunnion or dowel G and into the cut, as shown, and fastened by the nail D, which holds the hinge firmly in place and allows the cover to turn freely thereon.

The hinge is designed especially for small boxes, such as salt-boxes and the like, but may be made of sufficient strength for large boxes where a cover is used, and, from its simplicity, can be manufactured at a nominal cost, and makes a strong and durable hinge.

It is obvious that it may be applied either upon the side or end of the cover, or by putting a piece across the end or. side thereof, with the ends fitted to the hinge (3, instead of cutting into the cover; or the hinge may be inserted in the cover,end the trunnions or dowels out upon the side, or upon a piece fastened to the side. The back side of the cover is rounded or grooved, or the side rounded or grooved, so that the joint is tight and the cover turns freely.

I claim as my invention The hinge-piece 0, made loop-shaped from a single piece of brass, tin, or other suitable material, in combination with and turning freely on the dowels or trunnions Gr, formed on. the side or end of cover B, or its equivalent, substantially as shown and described, for the purposes specified.

. A. F. GERALD. Witnesses:

W. S. GHOATE, A. D. Doom. 4 

